If You Go Down In The Woods
by BlueEyedDemonLiz
Summary: Outsider's POV on a hunt Winchester style. Short story. Hurt boys. Please R&R. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Firstly, sincere apologies to anyone reading 'Black Aggie'. I promise that I am going back to that story, it's just on a hiatus until I find my way with it again._

_Outsider's pov on a hunt Winchester style. Set early Season One so no spoilers.__ Limp/angst – __rated for __mild violence/language.__ Likely to be 2-3 chapters but hell, who knows, I'm crap at predicting the length of my stories. No beta so all mistakes are mine, unfortunately I suck at grammar._

_Usual __'nope I don't own the Winchesters__/Supernatural__' __disclaimer applies._

**If You Go Down In The Woods**

I've lived here all my life, on the edge of the forest which surrounds Lake Misgater. My father built this house and I haven't ever felt the need to leave it. I'm old now, too old and find myself sat out on the porch most days watching the weeds grow. I have neighbours if you can call them that, as the nearest lives over eight miles away, so I don't see many folks. Sometimes I forget what it's like to share a conversation and wonder if I could manage one even if I got the chance. I see the occasional hiker of course and the odd tourist heading out to the lake to enjoy a picnic and grab a photo or two but they don't usually pay me any heed, they're just passing through after all.

From time to time a hiker will spot me and shout "good morning" and I'll nod my head, civil like and that's it, that's my interaction with another human being for the rest of the day, rest of the week sometimes. That's why I stay out here I suppose, sat on this rickety porch, just so I'll catch that passing "good morning". It's like walking through the forest in the Fall, stepping on the leaves to hear them crunch under your feet. A reminder you're alive, that you still exist.

It was late August and uncomfortably humid, a Friday as I recall. I'd not seen a soul all morning and the afternoon was passing in much the same way. It was just starting to grow dark when I saw them, two young men, heading out on foot towards the lake. They weren't dressed for hiking; not that anyone should be hiking out there after dark especially taking recent events into consideration. The elder of the two men was wearing jeans, crumpled like he lived in them and a brown leather jacket worn despite the heat over a thin shirt. The younger one, real tall and still a kid in truth, was wearing similar creased jeans, torn at the knee (type of tear caused by the material being worn away not the 'in fashion' kind) with a hooded top. No rucksacks, no sir, just a holdall which the kid carried slung over his shoulder and a couple of flashlights between them.

I've not travelled much but I've been around and know enough to realize when to be suspicious. Yep, I was suspicious then all right. Watching how they moved, steady and careful, eyes skimming their surroundings like they expected something to jump out at any moment. The older man saw me and froze. I watched him raise a quick hand to signal to the kid. They didn't need to speak to understand each other and there was something curiously military about their actions.

"There's bears in those woods." I shouted knowing my, _not exactly covert_, spying gig was up and they walked over, stopping so that they were stood at the foot of my porch.

"Thanks for the warning but we're Rangers with the Park Service." The man said with a fixed smile and strained politeness.

I frowned at that, they weren't like any Park Rangers I'd ever seen before and living out here I knew more than a handful of them. He had ID though and I pursed my lips as I considered that whoever they were, they were darn good at faking IDs.

"Do you know about the people that have gone miss…?"

"I sure do." I interrupted, I didn't need to hear more, of course I knew. People going missing only for their mutlilated bodies to turn up days later. It was happening right on my own damn doorstep too and I'd been sleeping with my rifle less than an arm's stretch away ever since I'd first heard about it.

"So, you ever see anything suspicious?" the kid caught my gaze and gave me a fleeting smile, which briefly lit his face but didn't quite grace his hazel eyes.

"Only you boys." I replied. I always was too impatient for playing games.

"I told you sir, we're Rangers." The man was getting restless and I saw him shoot a frustrated glance at his young friend.

I nodded unconvinced. _Y__ep, sure you are_.

The man eyed me again; smart enough at the game to know when I'd seen all his cards. He gave the kid's jacket sleeve a tug and that was it. "Thank you for your time," a brief nod and away they went continuing to follow the trail through the trees, calm and surefooted. The man's eyes kept flicking to the kid at his side and I understood then that he was watching the kid's back with more concern than he had for his own. Partners? Maybe. More likely they were kin but definitely not Park Rangers.

I didn't make any phone calls to report them or my qualms about what they were doing way out here. It's hard to explain but I felt like I needed to wait it out. Like I should stay to see what happened next. So I remained settled on my porch even as the sun sank gleaming burnt orange behind the trees. The onset of night normally chased me away inside but I sat for a long time, the air growing gradually cooler around me. I knew I should be inside, watching whatever took my interest on the television and fixing myself some supper as that was my routine. I swore gently under my breath at myself for being a stubborn old fool. The cool air was starting to play havoc with my joints and my knees protested as I struggled to get up out of my chair. Then I heard it, somewhere far away but echoing on the light breeze, the crack of distant gunfire.

A lump the size of a bowling ball caught in my throat and I sank back into my chair, fingers nervously tapping at my kneecaps, wondering whether I should go fetch my rifle. Time passed painstakingly slow then abruptly I heard him. I heard him even before I saw him, crashing through the woodland. The same man from earlier, only this time there was no kid at his side. This time, he was carrying the kid over his shoulder. The kid's arms swinging limply against his back as he moved.

I still couldn't tell you why I did it. Maybe it was the wretched look on the man's face or the fact I really was an _old fool_ but I got up and waved a hand, motioning him to bring the kid in the house. His eyes widened, wary of _me_ (it was enough to make an old man chuckle) but he wasn't about to waste time questioning my motives. He climbed up the porch steps, stumbling under the kid's weight a little and I watched him move past me to go inside.

By the time I'd pulled myself together and got myself indoors, he'd already lowered the kid onto my couch. I'm not completely heartless, I'd have let the kid take my bed had I been given the chance to offer but when my eyes saw all the blood I ended up stood silent, mouth opening and closing like a water-starved fish.

"He shot?" I stuttered feeling the bowling ball working its was up my throat again.

The man ignored me. Instead he gently lifted the kid's top, exposing bare flesh and I cursed roundly at the sight of torn skin. A gash ragged and deep ran the length of the kid's stomach. It looked an awful gory mess, blood was still pulsing from the wound and I scuttled off in search of some towels. I returned moments later a clean towel in one hand and my phone in the other. "I'll call an ambulance." I muttered. Pressing buttons before the sentence had even finished leaving my lips.

The man reached up and took my phone. He quickly pressed a button ending the call. "No ambulance." He said grimly.

"You want that kid to bleed to death?" I asked shocked.

The man's expression shifted then, moving from morose to lethal in the blink of an eye, making my heart hammer loudly in my chest. Wordlessly he grabbed for the towel and pressed it against the kid's stomach. The kid, who was ghostly pale and still unconscious, moaned softly and his body bucked against the unwelcome pressure. "I'm sorry Sammy, I'm so sorry." The man whispered pressing down again firmly with the towel and using his free hand he rubbed the kid's, _Sammy's_, arm. "I need a blanket and more towels." The man said looking up at me again. His tone had hardened now it was directed at someone other than the kid. It seemed he was tolerating my help because he was desperate not because he welcomed it.

I nodded and disappeared into my kitchen; a little relieved not to have to look at the blood which was making even my empty stomach feel queasy. I heard Sammy whimper and the man's voice began to murmur soothingly, words I couldn't quite distinguish but then they weren't for my ears anyway. I knew I had a first aid kit somewhere though it was poorly stocked; I'd not used the thing in easily a decade. I scouted it out and as I went back into the room, I saw the man had already started stitching Sammy's wound. First aid supplies were scattered all around him on the floor, which must have come from the holdall they'd been carrying.

The man looked exhausted but he continued the stitches with a steady hand and once more I found myself wondering who these two really were. "Can you hold his shoulders? I don't want him coming round and moving before I'm done." He asked, his tone was still gruff but it didn't mask the underlying concern which rode beneath all of his words.

I did as I was asked and tried not to watch the needle weave as it closed the wound. When he was finished the man rubbed his bloodied hands on his jeans and gingerly fingered at his shirt which was tacky with dried blood. Sammy's hair was dishevelled, drenched with sweat and chestnut strands were plastered to his forehead. His cheeks had regained a little colour but he'd stayed unconscious whilst the needle worked its way in and out of his flesh and I could tell it was beginning to worry the man that he hadn't woken up yet.

The man picked up one of the towels I'd given him and I noticed then for the first time that there was something wrapped in it. I lent forward to look, curiosity getting the better of me. He carefully opened the towel to expose what appeared to be a claw, as long and broad as my index finger. The end which curved sharply to a vicious looking point, rather like a sickle, was an unsightly lurid green shade. I couldn't prevent the question from tripping off my prying tongue. "Goddamn. What animal is that thing from?"

-0-

_AN - __Okay bit of a cliffy but not too evil...p__lease let me know what you think and whether you'd like to read more._

_As you might have already guessed, the lake mentioned in this story doesn't exist. In my head it's somewhere near Yosemite, just cos I've been there and thought it was breathtakingly beautiful._


	2. Chapter 2

_Many thanks for the very kind reviews. I wasn't sure about this story and it's a huge relief to know it's being received well. Cheers!_

_Chapter 1 recap: He carefully opened the towel to expose what appeared to be a claw, as long and broad as my index finger. The end which curved sharply to a vicious looking point, rather like a sickle, was an unsightly lurid green shade. I couldn't prevent the question from tripping off my prying tongue. "Goddamn. What animal is that thing from?" _

**If You Go Down In The Woods – Chapter 2**

He glanced once at me before looking over at Sammy who lay shivering on the couch. I didn't wait for his answer instead I walked over to my fireplace and started poking at the cinders before tossing on a couple of fresh logs and lighting them.

I heard the man sigh behind me. "Trust me. You don't want to know." He said finally.

"Look, this is _my_ home. Someone has been murdering those people and so yes, I want to know."

He took a seat at my table and ran a hand through his short blonde hair. "Not someone. _Something_." I took a seat across from him and he continued, "There are things out there in the dark, nightmare things..."

His story might have lasted five, ten minutes tops but it opened my eyes to a lifetime of blindness. I'm not saying I swallowed everything he said hook, line and sinker but there was something about him and Sammy. Something which made me _want_ to believe the crazy things he was talking about. I suppose I'm too old to fritter away time worrying about being killed in my bed by a _vampire_ or _poltergeist_. Death has been tapping at its wristwatch, showing me I've not much time left, for a good year or two now anyway. If anything, I felt relieved. Relieved to know I'd be living out my final years knowing the truth. Ignorance is bliss of that I've no doubt but knowledge is power. Still, I needed a drink to calm the shaking in my hands. I poured myself a lick of Scotch and poured one for the man too. I had to wave the glass in his face before he broke away from gazing at the kid.

He downed his drink in one. I noticed then, I wasn't the only one with shaking hands. He'd soften some since we'd first met and I think I was slowly earning his trust. He clearly didn't go handing it out freely.

"So, this Kakki Bear..." I began.

"Kakli Besar." The man corrected.

"Kakli Bea-uh-_whatever_." Seems I wasn't too old to act like a touchy teenager. "Its been killing people why again?"

"It eats human flesh like a Big Mac meal, but it'll eat livestock if it can't find a human to chow down on. We've researched on it a little; most of the stuff was already in my dad's journal. Turns out it needs to feed every thirty years. It'll feed for a month or so then hibernates. Lore states that it was created by demonic forces."

'_Demonic forces'_, that one made my skin crawl. Demons, werewolves, Kakki Bea-Besars...hot damn. To think, the most thrilling events in my life normally revolve around me discovering I've got chocolate cake left over from my last grocery delivery or if I read the TV guide and see that "Magnum" reruns are going to be on. This, all this, was off the scale thrills for me. I was scared shitless and not too pompous to admit it but I could feel my heart pounding away in my chest and felt alive for the first time in a long time. Providing I didn't go ahead and have a heart attack right there and then of course.

Whilst I was busy absorbing all the revelations offered to me, the man had gotten up and gone over to sit on the edge of the coach. As he rested a hand on Sammy's forehead I saw him frown.

"He got a fever?" I asked, genuinely concerned by the flush in the kid's cheeks.

"It's the poison." I must have visibly flinched because he quickly continued. "That's how the Kakli Besar catches its pray. The poison on its claws isn't fatal but it'll knock you on your ass long enough for it to slice you to ribbons. Then it eats you."

"Nice." I grimaced, whipping my head around to steal a nervous peek out of the window before I could stop myself.

"Don't worry. I killed it." The man said. "It came out of nowhere and took a chunk out of Sam. Guess it didn't count on there being two of us."

I relaxed a little then but still scampered over to check the front and back doors were bolted.

"Sam should come round soon." The man was looking at me but the statement seemed to be more to reassure himself. "As soon as he does, we'll get out of your way."

Then I can get back to normal, with nothing more to look forward to than cake and TV specials. "You should at least stay the night kid." I glanced at my watch, shocked to see it was almost two thirty am. I gave a quick smile. "Holy cow. Last time I stayed up this late, I'd gotten food poisoning from an undercooked turkey roast my cousin Cheryl brought me for Thanks Giving."

The man smiled then, the first genuine smile I'd seen from him. "Dean, call me Dean."

I nodded. "I'll get you a blanket Dean. The bathroom's up the stairs, first door on your left. Go get cleaned up."

Dean did as he was told, smart boy, I can be doggedly persuasive when I need to be. I made a couple of peanut butter sandwiches and listened to the sound of running water coming from the upstairs bathroom. Every now and again I startled at the noise of someone else moving about my house. Well, it had been a long time since I'd had guests. I watched Dean eat his sandwich with fervour. Once fed and freshened up, he looked a tad more presentable and less like he was trying to exemplify the living dead. I sat reading in my armchair for a short time whilst Dean dozed by the fire, his back resting against the couch.

"D-Dean?"

The voice was barely above a whisper and painfully weak. I saw Dean jolt awake and twist around to see Sammy blinking heavily, like his eyelids weighed a ton, struggling to look at him. The smile I'd seen earlier was nothing compared to the one planted on Dean's face right at that moment. "There you are. Finally decided to join us bro?"

Sammy's lips twitched in a soft smile as his eyelids won the battle and fell closed once more. I guess knowing Dean was there was all he'd needed. He hadn't asked where he was or for assurance that he was safe, Dean was there and that looked to be enough.

When I eventually hauled my lazy bones out of the armchair to get myself to bed, Dean had dropped off to sleep so I reached over to pull Sammy's blanket a little higher around his shoulders. As I lent over the kid Dean's eyes shot open, scaring the crap out of me and almost sending me ass first onto the floor. Seemed he didn't sleep that heavily and was keeping guard after all.

"Don't worry. I've already eaten." I muttered with a grin as I tucked the blanket in around the kid. Dean noticeably relaxed and his eyes slid lazily closed again.

I was pretty weary myself; it'd been one hell of an evening. I wandered off to bed, quickly falling asleep under the warm blankets. I hadn't been asleep long when I was woken by Dean's yelling and the terrifying sound of shattering glass.

-0-

_Back to the action in the third and final chapter, which will be up soon. And please don't worry, I'm missing Sam too and he'll feature more prominently in the next chapter._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to everyone reading this story and a huge hug to anyone who's been kind enough to review, I hope I've managed to respond to you all personally._

_Chapter 2 recap: I wandered off to bed, quickly falling asleep under the warm blankets. I hadn't been asleep long when I was woken by Dean's yelling and the terrifying sound of shattering glass._

**If You Go Down In The Woods – Chapter 3**

If you've ever had the misfortune to be burgled in the middle of the night, you'll know the feeling I experienced right at that moment. The utter disorientation of waking abruptly, fear pulsing a surge of adrenalin through your system. Your heart thumping thunderous beats which echo in your ears as you gasp in a deep lungful of air like a drowning man. All in all, not a pleasant way to wake up.

As I fumbled in the darkness for my rifle I could hear Dean's yells becoming more desperate. "Sam, move. Sam, get down." There was a hint of pain in his voice which made his words jagged and short, his tone razor-sharp. The realization of it made me move all the faster. Though with my dodgy knees, I wasn't quite ready for the Olympics but still made it down the stairs at a respectable pace.

As I reached the bottom step, what I saw still visits me in my nightmares to this day. There, in the centre of the room where I had left my young guests sleeping, was a creature unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It stood on two legs and was easily nine feet tall, hunched over so that it could fit its gigantic body into the room. It vaguely resembled a brown bear, but perhaps one which had been used in a horrific lab experiment gone wrong. The creature was covered in brown hair and had four toed feet that were at least eighteen inches long. The claws on its long thin hands were green tipped, exactly like the claw I had seen earlier. 

I had been correct in my assumption, Dean was hurt. I could see bright red blood running down his arm even from where I stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs. Sammy was laid out on the floor behind him, conscious but obviously still too frail to command his limbs to move properly. Most likely he was still suffering the effects of the debilitating poison which had entered his bloodstream through his slashed stomach. Dean was maintaining a protective stance over his brother. Dean met my gaze before glancing away to the floor. Following his eye line I saw a knife, which must have been knocked from his grasp. The Kakli Besar appeared to sense my presence for it suddenly turned its malformed dome shaped head, fixing a pair of terrifying green eyes on me. I held my rifle awkwardly feeling how heavy and clumsy it seemed in my elderly hands. I'd had the thing sixteen years and never fired it at anything which had a pulse. I lifted the rifle shakily; all the while hoping that if I could hit an empty beer can on a fence I sure as hell should be able to hit nine foot of 'creepy'. Dean shouted at the creature and as it whipped its snarling head towards him I used the distraction to aim and fire. The shot hit its target, the bullet piercing the creature's neck. This was a small miracle in itself considering I was trembling so much I had been lucky not to hit my foot or even Dean. The creature dropped, howling. Its body twitched in ghastly death throws until it finally stilled and died. 

"I thought you said you'd killed it?" I managed to spit out.

"I killed a _male_ Kakli Besar." Dean grumbled holding his wounded arm protectively across his stomach.

"What the heck was that then?"

"Mrs Kakli Besar." As Dean bent down, struggling to lift Sammy back up onto the couch his legs buckled and he tumbled to the ground. _Christ, of course. _He'd been injured by the creature's claws. Which no doubt meant he'd been stricken by a dose of the same poison. 

"Dean!" Sammy was weak but wasn't about to leave Dean lying helpless on the floor. The kid rallied his strength and pulled himself up into a sitting position before carefully lifting Dean's head and shoulders onto his lap. 

"Well...we make a fine p-pair." Dean huffed out, looking up groggily at his brother. 

I dropped my rifle, wincing as it clattered to the ground and stumbled over to Sammy and Dean. I'm not exactly Florence Nightingale but I could see both of them were in pretty bad shape. Sammy had recovered a little but his stomach must have hurt like hell. His breathing was shallow and ragged, each breath seeming to pull at his stitches. Dean, having just been infected, could barely summon the energy to lift his limbs and the wound on his arm, though not deep looked mighty painful.

Remembering the claw I had seen earlier I looked over at the gruesome Kakli Besar's corpse and saw that Dean was right. The creature laid out dead on my rug, wasn't missing any claws. "Do you think there are more of them?" I asked, fearing the worst.

Sammy shifted Dean's head so that it rested more comfortably on his knees and looked up at me. "There wasn't meant to be two of them. They're not known for having a mate."

"They're more of a love em' and leave em' type." Dean added.

I could believe that. The thing didn't exactly look like the romantic sort but at any rate, the female had tracked down those responsible for killing the male. "Let's get you patched up, we can worry about any other Kakli Besar family members coming to visit later when you're not bleeding all over my floor." I went to fetch my first aid kit yet again and decided to myself that from now on I was going to keep it stocked well enough to do any ER proud.

-0-

_A/N: So, you know the bit where I said this was the final chapter? Well there was another bit where I said I sucked at guessing how long my stories are going to be. Yep, you've guessed it; the final chapter will be Chapter 4 and up very soon. I would have tried to complete the story in this chapter but didn't want to rush things; I'm enjoying myself too much. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the delay. Here's a longer chapter than usual to make amends. Warning - this chapter contains a slight spoiler for Season 3._

**If You Go Down In The Woods – Chapter 4**

It was still dark when I got the boys settled again. Dawn was approaching fast but for me it couldn't come quickly enough. I'd never been so eager to see those first rays of morning light, anything which would banish the dark shadows outside the window which danced like fingers moving over piano keys every time a breeze caught in the tree tops.

I'd gone only a few hours possessing the kind of knowledge these boys had carried around with them for...well, god only knows how long. A few hours and flickering shadows almost had me peeing my pants. I knew that being courageous wouldn't come easy to me but attempting it was a damn sight better than the thought of living the rest of my life needing a change of underwear every five minutes. Course, I'd be sleeping with my rifle every night from now on for certain, that and a flashlight of course.

Sammy had given up his place on the couch to his brother. Much to Dean's dismay and our amusement, Dean could only manage a feeble protest as Sammy and I lowered him onto the soft cushions.

I took a seat in my armchair and whilst there was another armchair free, like Dean had done before him; Sammy seated himself on the floor. His back lent against the couch, close to his brother. "Get some sleep Dean."

"There could be more, we need to get geared up."

"Dean, you can't move your arms or legs. What are you going to do, blink them to death?" Dean glared furiously at Sammy before shifting his concentration to his right hand. Sammy and I watched as he stared at it. Dean's brow furrowed and little beads of sweat formed from the exertion. After what must have been the most intense ten minutes of hand staring known to man _finally_, Dean's thumb twitched - _a little_. Almost like he was trying to work an invisible cigarette lighter.

"Awesome. I can give them a Fonzie big thumbs up when they eat me." Dean groaned earning a chuckle from Sammy.

"Don't suppose you'll be getting any more sleep? I know I won't." I said to Sammy.

Sammy grinned as he noticed Dean's eyes had slid closed. "Guess it's my watch now." Sammy said.

"No. It's mine." I replied. "Dean can barely move and you need to rest or you'll tear your stitches open." I picked up my rifle and walked over to the window pulling the curtain back a touch further. "I've already got one Kakli...whatever-the-hell...decomposing on my rug so if more want to come and join it, let them." I was either getting brave or getting dementia, right then I wasn't quite sure which.

One thing I wasn't getting was sliced feet that much I was determined about. I spared another mournful look at the smashed window at the far side of the room through which the creature had made its grand entrance and wandered off to fetch a broom to make short work of the shards of glass which covered the floor. When I'd finished I took my place back in my armchair, my rifle resting across my knees. "Dean told me about the things you kill but I still don't know who the heck you boys are. Not some secret government branch I can tell that much." I'd wanted to ask the question all night but had been a tad too preoccupied with all the patching up of blood soaked kids I'd been doing. Not to mentioning how I'd also been busy killing a Kakli bear thing which, by the way, was going to take pride of place on the biggest backyard bonfire I could manage. Just as soon as I figured out a way to haul its heavy hairy ass out of my lounge.

Sammy sighed heavily and when I looked at him, his gaze was fixed on the fire. He really was just a kid but sat there in front of the glowing fireplace, brilliant oranges and yellows alive in his eyes; he looked too old for his years and tired. Not just 'pooped out' tired, like I always was by the end of a long day but weary. The kind of weariness that seeps through your body and penetrates your soul. I'd caught the same look on Dean's face when he'd been tending to Sammy's wounds but Dean was quick to recognize when he was being scrutinized. Consequently his barrier shot up and the mask slipped back in place. Sammy's barrier stayed down longer than Dean's did but he had one nonetheless. I just wondered if the barrier was for my benefit somehow. Protecting others from the things he'd done, the things he'd seen. Perhaps he thought he didn't need protecting anymore. I don't know, even now. I wish I did.

It felt like an ocean of time had flowed between us before Sammy finally answered. "We're hunters. My dad was in the Marines and he trained us but we're ordinary people. We just want to save lives."

"Trust me, you're far from ordinary." Sammy's mouth twitched in a soft smile. "I'm guessing in your line of work you don't hear this a lot but what you do, it matters. People have been dying. You came to try and stop something which the folks round here couldn't even begin to comprehend. And if they did, they'd be packing up their families and quitting town. But you boys, you marched right on into the lion's den. That's something special right there." I stopped, feeling my cheeks color. That had been probably the longest damn monologue I'd managed in a heck of a long time and it felt good, embarrassing as hell but good. Like I'd released a breath I'd been holding in my lungs till the air had turned stale and my chest was burning. "What I'm trying to say is thank you." I mumbled out the last words and stared down at my knees.

"You didn't have to take us in. You opened your door when you could have bolted it shut; I reckon that counts as something special too."

Oh heck, there was going to be hugging, I just knew it. I coughed awkwardly and rose from my chair. "If we've got a couple more hours of sitting around on our backsides, I'll fetch us some coffee." With that I hurried from the room, trying to deny the warmth which gripped at my heart with each stubborn step.

SNSNSNSNSNSN

I was rummaging in the depths of the refrigerator for some milk which hadn't curdled to cream when Sammy started yelling. I heard the familiar sound of my rifle firing and Dean's voice, groggy with sleep and briefly fearful before being replaced with stern barked orders. I dashed back to the room to see Sammy stood at the window which faced out onto the front of my property. The window had been broken and Sammy had the barrel of the rifle poking through the jagged glass that remained. "Sammy?" His face was tense and I swallowed. My throat felt dry and the saliva hurt like razor blades.

"They're outside, three of them...no, wait I can see another. There's four of them Dean. Smaller than the female but jeez, they're still big." Sammy's eyes shot to Dean who still lay stricken on the couch. Dean was twitching his thumb so frantically as he tried to get his hand to work that it was almost comical, _almost_ being the right word.

"Son of a bitch." Dean stared back at Sammy, aggravated and clearly angry as hell that if they got inside, he'd be powerless to defend himself. But more so than that, he'd be unable to defend his brother. "Sammy, they get in here and you're not gonna be able to shoot them all. There's too many." Dean's eyes closed and I thought that if he had resorted to praying then we really were going to die but his eyelids swiftly flew open again and he blinked rapidly, like he was trying to hold back his fear. "Sam? Sammy?" He called for his brother to join him.

Sammy motioned me over and I took his post at the window, rifle pointing out into the darkness. Sammy walked over to the couch and crouched down on his haunches by Dean's side. "Sammy, I want you to make a run for it. I'm going to yell, get their attention and then you gotta take the old man and run."

"Now you just hold on a darn second..." I began.

"Don't you _ever_ ask me to do anything like that." Sammy had lent himself close to Dean's ear and although his voice shook, his resolve to stay by Dean's side was strong and perfectly clear.

There was a sudden horrid high-pitched whining noise which emanated from outside the house, seeming to come from all sides and we froze, didn't even dare take a breath.

"They're surrounding the house, trying to draw us outside." Dean whispered.

"They're smart enough to do that?" I asked rubbing at the stubble on my chin with a shaking hand.

"They're smart alright." Sammy nodded.

"Then we've got to outsmart them. I reckon we should let them in." I smiled a little at their stunned expressions. I hadn't finally cracked, I had a plan. A hasty, wild, stupid plan but it was better than planning on ending up as a main course.

SNSNSNSNSNSN

"Suppertime. Come and get it."

Dean wasn't happy, not in the slightest; I guess being carried like a kindergartener on the back of someone old enough to be your grandpa must have that effect on people. I stood by the front door, waiting. Dean was far from being overweight but he had enough lean muscle to make me doubt I could carry him for very long. We could hear Sammy upstairs hollering for all his worth and thumping the walls with his fist. "This had better work old man." Dean muttered only barely keeping himself calm.

"Can you move your legs yet?" I asked crabbily. Dean simply grunted and so I added, "Well, quit jabbering in my ear then."

There was a deafening crash from the back of the house which I reckoned was the rear door behind destroyed. That was it, the moment we had been waiting for. They were inside and I felt Dean's breath, hot and sticky against the back of my neck. I opened the door and lumbered down the porch steps, stumbled forward as quickly as I could manage until we were a safe distance from the house and only then I lowered Dean down onto the damp dewy grass.

The moment he was on the ground, Dean struggled like a landed fish to roll himself onto his stomach so that he could get a look back at the house. Through the downstairs windows, we could scarcely distinguish their vast shapes. Kakli Besars, four of them. They were indeed smaller than the female but just as repulsive and they were tearing my house apart in their search for us. Dean's eyes flicked to the darkened upstairs windows but there was no sight of Sammy. "Why isn't he out of there yet?" Dean was panting, trying to pull himself into a sitting position. I took pity then and lifted him so I was supporting his weight and he could see the house more easily. There was an ear-splitting cold-blooded bellow and Dean's breathing quickened. "Where--where is he?"

"Christ, I'm...I'm sorry." My plan had failed; _I'd failed_ and was unbearably certain I'd got that young boy killed. 'Devastated' doesn't do the emotions which ran through my head justice. I couldn't bring myself to look Dean in the face.

"You ladies waiting for me?" It was then that Sammy came into sight; he hurried through the trees and plonked himself down between us. Dean scowled and I almost expected him to starting tearing into the boy but instead he broke out into a huge smile. There was fresh blood on Sammy's shirt and Dean resumed scowling when he spotted it. He shakily lifted a hand and prodded at Sammy's arm.

"You ripped your stitches." Dean growled.

"You're moving your arm." Sammy pointed out, trying to deter Dean's attention away from his wounded stomach.

Too thankful to really believe we had all gotten out of there, I forced my mind back to the matter at hand. "We've got to do this now. Before they realize the house is empty." I said with a groan as I handed my rifle over to Sammy. He wrapped his fingers around it tightly before glancing back at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure as I'll ever be. Just do it, fast, before I change my mind."

Sammy stood and raised the rifle. He took a deep breath as he took aim and then pulled the trigger. The kid was a good shot, he hit my sage green gas tank with the first bullet and the result was instantaneous. We dove for cover in the dirt as it exploded, taking my little house with it. The explosion was thunderous, the ground shook and the heat was so intense I was pretty sure it'd scorched my eyebrows and what little hair I had on the top of my head had almost certainly bid me farewell. I took a second to make certain I still had all of my body parts and then stood up, brushing dead leaves and dirt from my singed clothes. My house was gone and the Kakli Besars with it. Some of the building frame and foundations were still recognizable but it was still ablaze and the fire evidently had a considerable appetite. For a moment I was forlorn. My memories, my life, everything I'd ever owned, gone but we were all still alive and my house would have been no good to me if I was in a pine box.

"You boys better get out of here. That explosion won't have gone unnoticed." I was right; the plumes of smoke were enormous and would surely have a squad car or two out here within no time.

Sammy stood and pulled Dean up, slinging Dean's limp arm around his shoulder. "You'll be okay?"

I waved my hand, shushing him. "Just...get, before the police get here."

Dean's other arm which hung down at his side, jerked in the attempt of something akin to a wave. "You take care of yourself old timer. If there are more of them, we'll be back."

I might have grinned bemusedly and said something deep and meaningful, but instead I huffed and took another look at what had been my home. When I looked back they were gone.

SNSNSNSNSNSN

I won't bore you with an old man's rambling yarn about what happened to me after that night. This story isn't really about me after all but to satisfy the curious amongst you, I'll tell you this much. I put my land up for sale the following month and then, I was free to go anywhere but I started with California. I no longer needed the crunch of leaves to know I was alive.

As for the boys, I never saw them again...until I switched on the TV two nights ago. There was a news report, the sound was turned down but I did a double-take when I saw the police photographs and quickly turned the sound right up. It was them. A little older, a little more haunted in their expressions but still them. The report said they had died. Killed in an explosion whilst in police custody. 'An explosion', huh, that brought back memories.

I didn't feel sad as I was certain those boys were alive and out there somewhere doing what they do best. Most folks might never know the truth about what's really going on in the world. Might live out their lives in blissful ignorance, never being grateful for the sacrifices those boys make for people they don't even know, for strangers like me. But I knew and I had a lot to be grateful for.

-end-

_Hope nobody was too disappointed, writing an ending never comes easy for me._


End file.
